The purpose of this activity is to find the value of the acceleration due to gravity for different planets of our solar system. Measuring displacements on a stroboscope picture of a vertical falling basketball, and calculating the corresponding falling times, students will determine the movement equation of the basketball. In this equation, students can find the gravity acceleration of the planet. A simulation of the basketball free fall will be performed using the obtained equation and graphing calculators. To close the activity, students will prepare a class presentation to show of all the work done and results obtained.
By the end of this activity students will:
- Understand the use of quadratic equations to model the fall of an object.
- Understand the use of a scale factor to transform the measured on-picture displacements into the real basket ball displacements
- Understand how to combine basic Kinematics formulas to obtain the equation modelling an object’s free fall
- Use Math and technology to simulate the fall of the basketball
- Present in class the steps followed to solve this problem and the results found
Activity Rubric Link: https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/20-projects-activities-and-assignments?playlist=2-polynomial-power-and-rational-functions
Next are some pictures from the students work and results presentation: